40 Dead in River Nile Boat Collision

A cargo ship collision with a chartered party boat on the River Nile leaves 40 dead. Kemplon Engineering takes a closer look at this tragic news.

On the River Nile, festivities quickly turned into tragedy for a party of about 50 people celebrating a young couple’s engagement on a chartered boat. A cargo ship had collided with it during the night, causing the passenger boat to capsize. Initial rescue efforts were made especially difficult by darkness, but continued through to first light and in the succeeding days. As bodies were recovered from the river, the death toll rose to 40. Among the fatalities are young children, including four babies.

It is reported that traffic on the Nile had been heavy at the time of the accident, amidst celebrations of the end of the Ramadan holy month.

In the wake of the accident, the captain and crew from the cargo ship have been detained under suspicion of manslaughter. President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi had also ordered compensation of 80,000 Egyptian pounds ($10,000) to be paid out to aggrieved family members for each victim killed in the accident. Each injured person is also expected to get 10,000 EGP. Furthermore, safety measures have been strengthened and promptly acted upon on the River; a committee has been created to review appropriate legislation, the head of the River Transport Authority has been suspended, and police forces seized boats for a miscellany of river traffic offenses including overloading, operating without appropriate licenses, and for missing vital safety equipment. The crackdown resulted in 134 vessels seized over the span of just 24 hours.

Following an initial investigation, it has been revealed that the party boat was operating with a fake license plate, and had exceeded its maximum passenger capacity. The 90-metre cargo ship that had caused its downfall, on the other hand, had incompatible parts assembled without proper approvals, on top of missing lights and horns, and operating with only three of its required six-man crew. Officials deemed to share in the responsibility for the incident have also been called in by Egyptian General Prosecution.

We at Kemplon Engineering sympathize with those affected by this disaster, and hope for justice for those lost and injured.

For more articles on passenger safety and other topics relating to the maritime industry, explore our blog. If you would like to work on a project with Kemplon Engineering, check out our website for details on the services we can do for marine and industrial customers. We have been in the business of providing engineering solutions – on time and on budget – since 2005, and would love to have the chance to work with you. From welding and fabrication, precision machining, pipe fitting, laser cutting, and more, we have a wide range of capabilities and a great team dedicated to customer satisfaction. Contact us for queries and quotes at info@kemplon.com, or by phone at (877) 522-6526.